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The New England Patriots were ready to draft DT Isaac Sopoaga before he was taken by the 49ers

Bill Belichick

uNew England Patriots Bill Belichick shouts instructions in the second quarter of a NFL preseason football game against the Detroit Lions in Detroit, Thursday, Aug. 22, 2013. (AP Photo/Duane Burleson)
(AP)

FOXBOROUGH – The New England Patriots got the defensive
tackle they wanted during the 2004 NFL draft when they selected Vince Wilfork in
the first round.

They did not, however, get the other one they
were targeting.

As the draft entered its middle rounds, coach Bill Belichick and
the Patriots brain trust set their sights on Isaac Sopoaga. But with Wilfork and end
Marquise Hill already part of the haul, New England decided it could wait to
select a second tackle.

The Pats drafted safety Guss Scott out of Florida in the
third round. Sopoaga was gone before New England came back on the clock, taken
by the San Francisco 49ers with the 104th pick.

In the end, it all worked out. Wilfork developed into an
elite defender for the Patriots, and Sopoaga is now a member of the
team, albeit years later, after being traded earlier this
week from Philadelphia. Nonetheless, it seems Belichick feels he missed
out on something.

"We had already taken Vince, obviously, but you
can never have too many defensive linemen. That was kind of the conversation,"
Belichick said. "(Sopoaga) was right there. We were ready to take him. We said, 'We'll
get him one round later.' We had already take a couple of guys, so we probably
waited a little too long on that one."

In San Francisco, Sopoaga developed into a solid run-stuffer
and recorded 7.5 sacks and 218 tackles over eight seasons.

That kind of production could have helped in New England.
And with the benefit of hindsight, the decision to wait a round no longer looks
so good.

"Pretty good fourth-round pick, I'd say," Belichick said. "I
think if you knew what his career was going to be, he would have gone in the
second round. He could have gone in the first ahead of some people who were
drafted in that round, obviously. I'd say he's had a real good career. A
fourth-round pick who's done what he's done, I'd say there's not too many of
them who have done that."

Belichick also noted that Sopoaga could play this week against Pittsburgh.

“He’s in good condition, his reactions are what you’d expect them to be,” he said. “He just has to get familiar with our terminology and some of the way we play certain blocks and what his responsibilities are on blitzes and that kind of thing. He’s a smart guy and he obviously has a lot of experience.

"I think he should, if he continues to progress throughout the week – I don’t think there’s any reason why he shouldn’t be ready to play."